Functional roles of enzyme dynamics in accelerating active site chemistry: Emerging techniques and changing concepts

With the growing acceptance of the contribution of protein conformational ensembles to enzyme catalysis and regulation, research in the field of protein dynamics has shifted toward an understanding of the atomistic properties of protein dynamical networks and the mechanisms and time scales that control such behavior. A full description of an enzymatic reaction co-ordinate is expected to extend beyond the active site and include site-specific networks that communicate with the pro-tein/water interface. Advances in experimental tools for the spatial resolution of thermal activation pathways are being complemented by biophysical methods for visualizing dy-namics in real time. An emerging multidimensional model integrates the impacts of bound substrate/effector on the dis-tribution of protein substates that are in rapid equilibration near room temperature with reaction-specific protein embedded heat transfer conduits.

Automated summary

With the growing acceptance of the importance of protein conformational ensembles in enzyme catalysis and regulation, research in protein dynamics is now focused on understanding the atomic properties and mechanisms behind protein dynamical networks. This includes the networks that communicate with the protein/water interface. Advances in experimental tools and biophysical methods have allowed for real-time visualization of dynamics in thermal activation pathways.